1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar battery module, a replacement solar cell, and a method of replacing a solar cell.
2. Description of the Background Art
A solar battery module is used, for example, as a power-supply for an artificial satellite, and various shapes thereof have been provided in accordance with the shape of the satellite or the power required. Moreover, the solar battery module has a plurality of solar cells, and a light-receiving side of each solar cell is provided with a cover glass for reducing exposure to radiation and for blocking ultraviolet rays in the universe. The plurality of solar cells are connected in series to form a string, and a plurality of strings are connected in parallel and in series to form the solar battery module. The solar cells are connected to one another via an interconnector. A three-dimensional or two-dimensional stress relief is formed at the interconnector to absorb and alleviate displacement and stress between solar cells.
Incidentally, when a solar cell of the solar battery module is failed or damaged, it must be replaced with a new solar cell.
However, in the conventional solar battery module, as solar cells are arranged close to each other within a string, it has been very difficult to perform such a series of work that only a failed or damaged solar cell is removed and a new solar cell is mounted and connected to existing solar cells adjacent to the failed cell. Thus, even if one solar cell is failed or damaged, the entire string including that cell must be replaced. Therefore, other normal solar cells included in the string are also replaced at the same time, incurring enormous waste.
Moreover, when a failed or damaged solar cell is removed, other normal solar cells adjacent thereto may also be destroyed, causing not only troublesome work but also waste of normal solar cells.
Therefore, the prevent invention was made in view of the above, and is directed to provide a solar battery module, a replacement solar cell, and a method of replacing a solar cell, that can suppress waste of solar cells to be minimum when a solar cell is replaced.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a solar battery module includes a plurality of solar cells connected to one another, and a plurality of spaces each provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of solar cells. The plurality of spaces includes at least one repair space. The repair space is larger than the other spaces.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in a solar battery module including a plurality of existing solar cells connected to one another and a plurality of spaces each provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of solar cells, the plurality of spaces including at least one repair space, the repair space being larger than other ones of the spaces; a replacement solar cell replacing the existing solar cell includes an electrode and an interconnector electrically connected to the electrode. The interconnector includes a connecting portion. The connecting portion of the interconnector is positioned with respect to a connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to an electrode of the existing solar cell adjacent to the repair space, such that connection of the interconnector for the replacement solar cell to the interconnector for the existing solar cell is performed in the repair space.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, in a solar battery module including a plurality of existing solar cells connected to one another, a replacement solar cell includes an electrode of a first conductivity type, an electrode of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, a first interconnector electrically connected to the electrode of the first conductivity type, and a second interconnector electrically connected to the electrode of the second conductivity type. The first and second interconnectors include connecting portions respectively. The connecting portion of the first interconnector and the connecting portion of the second interconnector are arranged at one end of the replacement solar cell.
In the replacement solar cell, preferably, the electrode of the first conductivity type is arranged at one end of the replacement solar cell, the electrode of the second conductivity type is arranged at the other end of the replacement solar cell, and the second interconnector extends from the other end to the one end of the replacement solar cell so that the connecting portion of the second interconnector is arranged at the one end of the replacement solar cell.
In the replacement solar cell, preferably, the electrode of the first conductivity type and the electrode of the second conductivity type are arranged at one end of the replacement solar cell.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in a solar battery module including a plurality of existing solar cells connected to one another and a plurality of spaces each provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of solar cells, the plurality of spaces including at least two repair spaces, the repair space being larger than other ones of the spaces; a method of replacing a solar cell includes the steps of simultaneously removing the plurality of existing solar cells arranged between at least two of the repair spaces, and simultaneously mounting a plurality of replacement solar cells into a region from which the plurality of existing solar cells are removed.
In the method of replacing a solar cell, preferably, the step of mounting includes the step of connecting the replacement solar cell to the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell, within the repair space.
According to a yet another aspect of the present invention, in a solar battery module including a plurality of existing solar cells connected to one another, a method of replacing a solar cell includes the steps of removing the existing solar cell, and mounting a replacement solar cell smaller than the existing solar cell into a region from which the existing solar cell is removed. A repair space is provided between the replacement solar cell and the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell.
In the method of replacing a solar cell, preferably, the replacement solar cell has a power output approximately equal to the existing solar cell.
In the method of replacing a solar cell, preferably, the step of mounting includes the step of connecting the replacement solar cell to the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell, within the repair space. Here, the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell preferably includes an electrode, and the replacement solar cell includes an electrode and a first interconnector electrically connected to the electrode. The step of mounting preferably includes the steps of connecting the electrode of the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell to one connecting portion of a second interconnector and extending the other connecting portion of the second interconnector into the repair space, and connecting a connecting portion of the first interconnector and the other connecting portion of the second interconnector.
Specifically, the solar battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of solar cells connected to one another, and at least one of spaces between adjacent solar cells is used as a repair space, which is made larger than other spaces.
According to the present invention with such a structure, the repair space between solar cells is made larger. This facilitates connecting work of solar cells performed in the repair space. Moreover, adhesive for fixing the solar cells can easily be processed in the large repair space, so that processing may be started in this repair space and proceeded to the periphery of a solar cell, to allow detachment of the solar cell.
Moreover, the replacement solar cell according to the present invention is to replace a solar cell of the solar battery module described above, and a connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to an electrode of the replacement solar cell and a connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to an electrode of an existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell are positioned such that connection of the interconnector for the replacement solar cell to the interconnector for the existing solar cell is performed in the repair space.
Here, the position of the connecting portion of the interconnector electrically connected to the electrode of the replacement solar cell is set in accordance with the position of the repair space, such that connection by the interconnector is performed in the repair space.
Moreover, the replacement solar cell according to the present invention is for a solar battery module including a plurality of solar cells connected to one another, and includes interconnectors used for connection to an existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell. A connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to an N-electrode of the replacement solar cell and a connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to a P-electrode of the replacement solar cell are both arranged on one side of the replacement solar cell.
Here, the replacement solar cell may be mounted with a side thereof adapted to the repair space, to allow connection by each interconnector to be performed in the repair space.
Furthermore, in the replacement solar cell according to the present invention, one of the connecting portions of the interconnector electrically connected to the N-electrode and of the interconnector electrically connected to the P-electrode extends to one side of the replacement solar cell on which the other one of the connecting portions is arranged.
By thus extending one of the connecting portions of the interconnectors to one side of the replacement solar cell on which the other one of the connecting portions is arranged, the connecting portions of both interconnectors can be arranged together on one side of the replacement solar cell, even if the electrodes are spaced apart.
The replacement method according to the present invention is to replace a solar cell of the solar battery module, in which a plurality of solar cells arranged between repair spaces are simultaneously replaced.
If, for example, three solar cells are arranged between two repair spaces, all of the three solar cells are simultaneously replaced. As described earlier, connection of solar cells to each other and processing of an adhesion may easily be performed in the repair space. Therefore, replacement of solar cells between the repair spaces may be facilitated.
Furthermore, in the replacement method according to the present invention, the replacement solar cell used for replacement and an existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell are connected in the repair space.
Accordingly, connecting work may easily be performed in the repair space.
In addition, the replacement method according to the present invention is for replacing a solar cell of a solar battery module including a plurality of solar cells connected to one another, in which an existing solar cell is replaced with a smaller replacement solar cell so that a repair space is formed.
When such a small replacement solar cell is mounted, a large repair space is formed adjacent to the replacement solar cell. Thus, connection of the replacement solar cell to the existing solar cell can easily be performed in the large repair space.
Moreover, in the replacement method according to the present invention, the smaller solar cell has a power output approximately equal to the existing solar cell.
This prevents lowering of the power output of the solar battery module even after the smaller replacement solar cell is mounted.
Moreover, in the replacement method according to the present invention, the replacement solar cell after replacement and the existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell are connected in the repair space.
The connection work is facilitated because of the large size of the repair space.
Furthermore, in the replacement method of the present invention, an electrode of an existing solar cell adjacent to the replacement solar cell is connected to an interconnector, and a connecting portion of the interconnector is arranged to extend to the repair space and is connected to a connecting portion of an interconnector electrically connected to an electrode of the replacement solar cell.
Here, the electrode of the existing solar cell is connected to the interconnector and the connecting portion of this interconnector extends to the repair space to be connected to the connecting portion of the interconnector for the replacement solar cell. Thus, the interconnector for the existing solar cell can be connected to the interconnector for the replacement solar cell, even if the electrode of the existing solar cell is spaced from the repair space.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.